


Apollo and Artemis

by phirsh



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Enjolras is Éponine's brother for once, Established Relationship, mentions of abuse, nothing graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 21:46:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3911800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phirsh/pseuds/phirsh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cosette takes in  Éponine’s dark hair, her too slim figure, her battered boots and worn clothes. next to her, Enjolras looks the exact opposite. though he’s dressed in the same worn, secondhand clothes, his bright hair is radiant and he stands tall where Éponine slouches. despite that there is something similar about them, some shared fire.</p><p> “a lot changed since we last met, hasn’t it?” she asks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apollo and Artemis

“Cosette, these are Les Amis de L'ABC. les amis - Cosette.” Marius’s voice carry clearly in the musain.

Enjolras, at his seat next to R, stop mid-sentence and stiffens at the name. Grantaire gives him a questioning look but he ignores it and risks a glance at Èponine. his sister’s sitting with her back to him, seemingly deep in conversation with Courfeyrac and Combeferre but he can tell she heard it too, her back is too rigid. 

Marius has been babbling about his One True Love for weeks now but Enjolras never caught her name, too busy making sure Éponine is doing okay with this new development, with her hopeless crush on Marius. it seems like be an oversight now. 

“what is it?” of course R would notice something is wrong. he knows Enjolras to well not to. Enjolras just shakes his head and keeps trying to catch Éponine’s eye but she’s either ignoring him or having a crisis of her own and doesn’t notice. 

“over there are Joly and Bossuet, next to them is Musichetta, she’s their girlfriend.” Marius starts with introductions, oblivious to Éponine’s distress. Enjolras gives him a brief disbelieving look before turning to look at Cosette. she’s a pretty girl - blond hair, charming smile and a healthy, wholesome feeling about her, light and cheerful. she gives the aura of a disney princess and Enjolras dislikes her on sight.

“this is Combeferre, Courf you’ve already met of course, next to him is Éponine, over there are-”

Éponine?” it’s the first time she talked since she came through the door. her voice is quiet and melodic and it shakes a little. Enjolras finds himself viciously glad. next to him R frowns. 

“ Éponine Thénardier?” she asks. 

“No, Ép’s last name is Jondrette” Marius replies, looking baffled

“No it actually isn't”. Éponine rises from her seat and turns to face Cosette. she looks resigned and she stands as if expecting a fight. Enjolras knows this look on her - the set of her shoulders, the grim determination on her face, the raised chin. He's been told he looks the same when gearing up for a fight. His dislike of Cosette grows just a little more for making his sister wear that expression.

Cosette pales so much she looks like she’s going to faint, but she must be tougher than she looks because instead she pulls a taser from her purse and her hands don’t shake when she points it at Éponine. 

“Don’t move, don’t come near me, I'm not going back you can't make me! My dad's a cop!” 

Marius just gapes at her but Enjolras is at Éponine’s side in an instant. “Put that down Cosette, before you hurt someone. No one will make you go back”. his tone is low and firm and cold as ice but it seems to calm her down. she lowers the taser takes a good look at Éponine for the first time.

Cosette takes in Éponine’s dark hair, her too slim figure, her battered boots and worn clothes. next to her, Enjolras looks the exact opposite. though he’s dressed in the same worn, secondhand clothes, his bright hair is radiant and he stands tall where Éponine slouches. despite that there is something similar about them, some shared fire.

“a lot changed since we last met, hasn’t it?” she asks. 

“Oh you have no idea” Enjolras replies, a note of hysteria in his tone. "Enjolras." Èponine gives him a look. Her eyes steady him, mostly, and he comes to a decision. "Let me tell you a story. I think you have the right to know" . He isn't talking only to Cosette, he's addressing the room at large. This was a long time coming. When he looks at her, Èponine nods at him and he feels a wave of relief and affection. She was always right there with him. He looks back to Cosette. She raises her head proudly, but seems willing enough to listen, and a tiny bit curious. She's clutching Marius' hand like a lifeline, her knuckles white. 

Now that it's time, the words come easy, like they always have, but also like he's been waiting a long time to say them. “after your magical adoption, they were so scared your new father would call the police on them they ran away. moved. changed their last name. they fostered me for the same reason they did you - the tax benefits.” there is no need to clarify who 'they' are. Most of their friends have a vague idea of their past. Cosette looks interested despite herself and a silence has fallen on the musain. Enjolras darts a look around. all eyes are on him. he closes his eyes for a second, just to pick up his thoughts. Éponine takes his hand. he opens his eyes. 

“if you remember Madame Jondrette at all then you should know that she is the kind of person who can only love one thing if she can hate another. I was a boy and therefore, in her eyes I don’t count for much. It's like she didn't even see me. so she turned on her own daughters.” Éponine squeezes his hand and he looks at her. He knows this part of the story is hers to tell. she never looks away from him when she speaks.

“They started to use us in the business when got old enough. I knew Azelma couldn’t take it, so I would mess up a job on purpose. give a note to the wrong person. not tell them if the police were around, that kind of thing. it worked. I took the heat and Azelma was as safe as I could make her.” Her voice is grim and matter-of-fact, inviting no mercy. 

“They adopted me after a while” Enjolras continues, returning to look at Cosette. "not that they knew they did, we forged most of the paperwork. The fact of the matter was I was there for good.” it had been a huge fight between him and Èponine. She claimed he could still get out, be fostered with another family. He claimed he had all the family he needed right there. But that is not the subject right now. A story for another time. He shakes the memory. 

“It went like that for a few years. They had three more children in the meantime, all of them boys therefore all of them abused. We left the minute we both turned eighteen. We managed to get custody on Gavroche, but the other two we lost in the system.” Éponine’s mouth thins. “She didn’t even bother to name them.”

“And Azelma?” Cosette asks. she seems genuinely worried and very shaken and Enjolras is surprised that she cares. 

“She helped us get out but she wouldn’t leave with us. She stands to inherit the empire. We have eyes on her and reports says she’s fine.” Despite her words Éponine looks worried. He gives her hand a squeeze. 

Enjolras risks a glance around the room. faces look from disbelieving to sad to pitying to enraged. Combeferre, Courfeyrac and Grantaire, who have all heard parts of this story if not the whole thing are to only ones who look unsurprised.

“I’m sorry, for what’s it worth to you.” Cosette really looks it too. there’s no pity in her expression though, just regret. 

“It’s fine, little lark” the nickname is half sarcastic half fond on Éponine’s tongue, and she looks tired “not all of us can live an actual disney movie”. she darts a look at Marius and Enjolras heart breaks for her. 

“No one’s called me that in years!” Cosette smiles a tearful smile at Éponine and Éponine gives a weary smile back. Enjolras looks at them in wonder. Maybe there’s hope for this yet. 

“Alright.” Cosette sounds determined. “ I’m going to go outside to breath for a second then I’m coming back inside and we are doing the whole introduction thing again from the begining. is that alright?” Cosette asks and Enjolras can’t help but admire her guts. If she can survive the Thenadièrs and come out the other side still kind, there is a wealth of hidden strength in her. From the looks of it Èponine sees it too. 

Combeferre is the first to regain his wits, as he is wont to do and so he is the one to answer her. “that would be best, I think.” he says. but Cosette doesn't leave until Éponine gives her a tight nod. 

The minute she’s out the door Éponine is hugging him. He wraps his arms around her back and buries his face in her hair, inhaling her shampoo. “I don’t know what I would've done if you hadn’t been fostered with us” she says. Enjolras doesn’t know either so he just tightens his hold.

“That was very brave of the two of you” R says, and they break apart. he wears a look of quiet pride, and he kisses his boyfriend’s cheek, an arm around his waist. “Of Cosette as well.” he adds as an afterthought. Enjolras leans into his touch and hums his consent, letting the tension leave his body in one long exhale. Éponine smiles at them. it took them a long time to get to where they are today and Èponine has been there with them every step of the way. and if she won the pool, well that’s besides the point.  
“It really has been” is all she says.  
“I think I’m gonna go talk to her.” R says. Enjolras pouts at him adorably and buries his nose in his neck. “ Oh, enjy come on it’ll only be a minute” Grantaire smiles and Éponine stifles a giggle. 

“Fine” Enjolras grumbles. He does let go but his eyes follow Grantaire until he’s out of sight. 

“Do you think we should address this?” Éponine asks, her voice quiet. Enjolras gives her a questioning look and she makes a sweeping gesture with her hand, the casual move at odds with her nervus expression. He raises his head and glances around. everyone is making a point not looking at them, all talking with each other.ah. 

“Yes, I think we’re going to have to.” he replies, frowning at his friends. “you want to or should I?“

“Go right ahead” Éponine smirks at him. Enjolras glares at her, but clears his throat, not very loudly. everyone immediately abandon what they were doing (or pretending to be doing) and turns to look at him. 

He clears his throat again, suddenly nervus. The silence stretches. For once in his life his words have left him.  
“This doesn't change anything” is what he eventually says, miles away from his regular eloquence.“we're still the same people, nothing’s changed.” he sounds too desperate. he grits his teeth, suddenley angry with himself. Why did he say so much, he shouldn't have said so much, they'd never treat him the same, they'd never -. 

“Thank you for sharing this with us.” Courfeyrac’s voice is low and honest. “You are both very brave both for living through what you just described and for telling us about it. so thank you for sharing.” Enjolras catches his eye and sees nothing but sincerty.he can see nods of agreement from all around the room and he chokes back a relieved sob. He lets out a breath. what did he do to deserve these people? 

Courfeyrac is also the first to approach them, followed closely by Combeferre and Musuchetta. he gives them a big hug each and says nothing. after that it’s like the dam is broken and they are part of the group once again, easily included in conversations. Èponine smiles at him and he smiles back, twin expressions of wonder on their faces. 

*********************************************************************

“may I sit with you?” 

Cosette looks up, considering. The man who aproched her has a crooked nose, like it’s been broken and something about his mouth is asymetrical but his eyes are bright blue and alert and his smile is kind. she looks to Marius, who shrugs. 

“Go ahead” she says, scooting over to make room for him on the bench. 

“Cosette, this is Grantaire, he’s Enjolras’ boyfriend. “ Marius says. at her confused look he adds “Enjolras is Éponine’s brother. “ 

“Oh. I never did catch his name.” is all she says. she turns to Grantaire. “I’m very sorry I caused this much distress, I panicked a bit when I heard Èponine’s name. as you might have guessed, I didn’t have the greatest experience with her family.”

“Don’t worry about it, the two of them panicked just as much. what you saw was a defence mechanism. Enjolras is lethal with words.” is his kind reply.”I was actually there for some of it,” he adds “got myself with some bad company in high school, it’s how I met them.”

“I’m starting to get the feeling none of your little gang is what you’d call normal ” say Cosette, startling a laugh out of both Grantaire and Marius. 

“You’ll fit right in, once this dies down!” Grantaire laughs. “but on a more serious note, are you alright? you took quite a beating down over there.” 

Cosette thinks it over. “I suppose I did but I think it was necessary. honest if nothing else. and I think we’ll get over it. with everything out in the open nothing will be false about anything the three of us will build. “

“you are rather insightful, aren't you.” he remarks.

“I’d like to think so” Cosette replies with a wide smile. 

“So what did you think of our very own Apollo and Artemis?” Grantaire asks her, half sarcastic, half genuinely curious. 

“Apollo and Artemis?” she raises an eyebrow. Grantaire just smirks at her .“I think they are very close, that they’ve been through hell together and came out on the other side. I think they’re remarkable. I also think it’s time I go back and face them.”

Marius, who has been quiet so far, content to let her fight her own battles, speaks up “Are you sure? I could take you home right now “ he asks her. a wave of fondness washes over her. 

“Thank you. But I l need to do this if I ever want to make amends, which I do.” she says. “Come on”. she raises and walks through the door, Marius and Grantaire at her heels. inside, she goes straight to Éponine and Enjolras, still standing where she left them. “Hello! my name’s Cosette, it’s very nice to meet you!” she offers her hand, looking at Éponine straight in the eyes. she is rewarded with a smile and a hand in hers.  
“I’m Èponine. it’s very nice to meet you too.” 

when she looks to Enjolras he’s smiling too. 

“I’m sure you’ll feel right at home”

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys! hope you liked it!
> 
> I've seen a lot of fics latley where Enjy and Cosette are siblings and I loved it to death but I can't help thinking - what if he was Èponine's brother instead?  
> and so this came along. 
> 
> this is un beta'd so if you see any mistakes please point them out. 
> 
> let me know what you think!
> 
> I am on tumblr at somthing-about-a-barricade, come say hello! 
> 
> **Edit: I've gone over the story and made a few fixes and adjustments. Mostly cosmetic, nothing major (22.02.16)


End file.
